‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ trailer has a celebrity cast, lots of charm

When it was first announced, Minecraft: Story Mode seemed like a weird project for Telltale Games. The developer of episodic adventures has done a ton of amazing work with story-heavy properties like The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones and Back to the Future. But Minecraft? The game that’s basically a digital Lego toybox? How do you combine that with Telltale’s signature style of storytelling?

Apparently I shouldn’t have doubted Telltale, because based on the first trailer, Minecraft: Story Mode has a lot of character and charm.

You might recognize some of the voices. Telltale has announced that the the episodic game will feature the talents of Patton Oswalt, Brian Posehn, Ashley Johnson, Scott Porter, Martha Plimpton, Dave Fennoy, Corey Feldman, Billy West and Paul Reubens.

So what is the story in Story Mode? “You’ll control protagonist Jesse throughout the season, as portrayed by actor Patton Oswalt,” Telltale says. “Jesse and his group of friends revere the legendary Order of the Stone; four adventurers who slayed an Ender Dragon. The Order are the very best at what they do: Warrior, Redstone Engineer, Griefer, and Architect. While at EnderCon, Jesse and his friends discover that something is wrong… something dreadful. Terror is unleashed, and they must set out on a journey to find The Order of the Stone if they are to save their world from oblivion.”

“As Jesse, players will steer their own path through a tale of adventure and survival; all brought to life by an all-star cast,” said Telltale Games’ CEO and co-founder Kevin Bruner. “Through Telltale’s choice-based gameplay and a story spanning from the Nether to the Farlands, the End, and beyond, we can’t wait for fans to experience this new take on the beloved world of Minecraft.”

Mojang’s Owen Hill says, “The interactive storytellers at Telltale are giving players the chance to explore their own unique interpretation of the Minecraft universe. They’ve crafted a story that follows the logic of Minecraft, but still manages to feel original. It’s actually pretty funny too. And the pig is adorable.”

Minecraft: Story Mode is expected to hit the PC/Mac, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, iOS and Android later this year.